Four-year-old pacer Hillbilly Hanover’s July 13 victory at Yonkers Raceway sent his lifetime earnings over the $500,000 mark and his dam, Hattie, into harness racing’s Living Horse Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame provides for broodmares to be automatically inducted if their progeny includes a $1-million winner and two $500,000 winners. In addition to Hillbilly Hanover, Hattie is also the dam of 2004 Meadowlands Pace winner Holborn Hanover ($2,070,648) and Hyperion Hanover ($1,141,321).
Bred by the late Richard Staley and trained by Hall of Fame horseman Doug Ackerman, Hattie earned more than $260,000 on the racetrack, including a second-place finish in the 1994 Breeders Crown. Hattie was purchased in 1997 by Hanover Shoe Farms.
Hillbilly Hanover can follow in his half-brother’s footsteps in the U.S. Pacing Championship elimination at the Meadowlands this Saturday night (July 27) against the likes of Foiled Again, Warrawee Needy, Pet Rock and Golden Receiver. Holborn Hanover’s 2006 U.S. Pacing Championship victory produced the sport’s fastest race mile of all time – 1:46.4 – an effort which has since been equalled by Somebeachsomewhere (2008) and Warrawee Needy (2013).
(Living Horse Hall of Fame)
This is wonderful news for
This is wonderful news for Hattie, a broodmare that has produced so many fine horses. Holborn, Hyperion, and now Hillybilly. I have followed many of her sons and daughters; especially Hyperion Hanover, whom I have watched and played since a youngster (2005), and now Hillbilly Hanover. He is a fine horse in his own right and do hope he races well in the US Pacing Championship elimination at Meadowlands
tonight.
Congrats to a great mare Hattie.
Janelle Scherbik